The national parks preceded the National Park Service, but the first great natural park was a state park. Californiaâs Yosemite State Park was established in 1864, by a federal cession approved by President Abraham Lincoln, and on October 21, 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes toured Californiaâs Yosemite in an open carriage.
In fact, humans have been capturing the energy of moving water for thousands of years. Today, harnessing the power of moving water to generate electricity, known as hydroelectric power, is the largest source of emissions-free, renewable electricity in the United States and worldwide.
EDF Energy does not currently operate any hydroelectric power stations in the UK. Flowing water is a renewable energy source, and modern hydroelectric power stations can convert at least 90% of this energy into electricity. But sites in the UK where water power can be harnessed on a large scale are very limited.